MMC calls for patience over Fourways developments
29 June 2017
City of Joburg Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety Cllr Michael Sun has appealed to all stakeholders around the Fourways business precinct to exercise patience over the road upgrades and other major developments taking place in the area.
Speaking to developers, businesspeople and local residents during an information-sharing meeting at the Lonehill Fire Station on Wednesday June 28, Cllr Sun asked all those affected by the traffic congestion, road closures and delays to bear with the City as all the developments would in the end benefit everyone.
“I also live around the area and I understand the frustrations caused by the work going on around here. But let’s understand that in the end it will be worth our while,” MMC Sun, who was accompanied by Region A Director Abigail Ndlovu and Ward 94 councillor David Foley, said.
He promised to deploy more Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers to help with the smooth flow of traffic.
Work to widen the single-lane route between William Nicol Drive and Cedar Road in Fourways and Dainfern has been under way since the beginning of the year to accommodate the increase in traffic volumes. These developments have been coupled with the R280-million expansion of Fourways Mall to make it the second-largest mall in the country after the Pavilion in Durban and the biggest in Gauteng. This has resulted in a number of other road infrastructure upgrades around the mall.
Said Mall Developer Tony Koupis: “On Witkoppen Road, the contract associated with the mall expansion includes the upgrades and widening of intersections at Douglas Drive, Kingfisher Road, Cedar Road and William Nicol Drive, that feed into Witkoppen.
“In addition to the road upgrades adjacent to the mall, you will see a flyover that is currently being constructed. This will create direct access to the mall’s new multi-level parkade, thus assisting with access and egress points, which are currently only off Fourways Boulevard and alleviate the pressure on the homeward run-up Cedar Road.”
MMC Sun said the Gautrain road upgrades along Cedar Road were, however, not part of the Fourways Mall expansion project. “This is a provincial government project that is taking place at the same time as these upgrades. The way in which the council has approached these upgrades is the correct one as it will have the least impact on the traffic flow,” he said.
Civil engineering company WSP was appointed to undertake both projects to ensure they ran concurrently.
Cllr Sun said the developments were expected to be completed either by the end of 2017 or early in 2018.
He said the Fourways Mall management was also assisting with the easing traffic of bottlenecks by appointing traffic pointsmen during peak times.